Preseason Power Rankings: NFL Running Backs

Best 'Backs

By Jeff Royer, XFINITY Sports

We've already looked at coaches, quarterbacks and wide receivers. Now it's time to take a look at the best starting running backs in the NFL. Once again, we try not to fixate on what veterans have done in the past or speculate on what rookies may one day be. This is where each RB stands heading into the 2014 season. (Getty Photos)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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We've already looked at coaches, quarterbacks and wide receivers. Now it's time to take a look at the best starting running backs in the NFL. Once again, we try not to fixate on what veterans have done in the past or speculate on what rookies may one day be. This is where each RB stands heading into the 2014 season. (Getty Photos)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

32. Knowshon Mor...Moreno had a career year in 2013, rushing for 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns. Of course, that was with defenses completely selling out trying to stop Peyton Manning’s aerial assault. Now on a team with a questionable offensive line and a lesser QB, he’s going to have to fend for himself. He’ll be working in new OC Bill Lazor’s Chip Kelly-ish scheme, but I wouldn’t count on Shady McCoy-ish results. (AP Photo)

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31. DeAngelo Wil...Williams was a workhorse last year in the absence of Jonathan Stewart. He took advantage of the opportunity by racking up more than 800 yards, but he also dipped to a 4.2 yards-per-carry average and had a career high in fumbles. Now 31 at a position with a historically short shelf life, Williams maybe be heading toward the inevitable cliff. (Grant Halverson/Getty Photo)

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30. Pierre Thoma...With Darren Sproles shipped off to Philadelphia, Thomas inherits the clear role of starter for the Saints. With Drew Brees behind center racking up 5,000-yard seasons, Thomas isn’t really expected to put up huge numbers. Still, his 3.7 yards-per-carry average last season was less than inspiring. If he’s got more to give, 2014 is the time to show it. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Photo)

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29. Maurice Jone...MJD won’t have anything handed to him in his first year in Oakland. If he does indeed beat out Darren McFadden for the starting job, he’ll probably still yield a healthy number of snaps, considering the two are so different stylistically. Jones-Drew is also battling Father Time. He enters his age-29 season on the heels of a season in which he averaged a career-worst 3.4 yards per carry. A bounce-back year is entirely possible, but the best days of MJD’s career may be behind him. (Jim Mone/AP Photo)

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28. Steven Jacks...After eight-straight 1,000-yard seasons in St. Louis, Jackson set up shop in Atlanta last season and immediately fell into whatever dark abyss swallowed the rest of the team. When not sidelined with a hamstring injury, Jackson struggled mightily on the field, amassing just 543 yards in 12 games with a lackluster 3.5 YPC. He enters his 11th season on the wrong side of 30, but remains an immensely talented back. With luck on his side, he could rocket up this list. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photo)

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27. Stevan Ridle...Ridley was in hot water with The Hoodie last year after a brutal bout of Fumblitis, and ended up losing a chunk of snaps to LeGarrette Blount, finishing with 773 yards and seven TDs. With Blount in Pittsburgh, Ridley has a chance to reclaim his role and restore his reputation — if, that is, he doesn’t lose more ground to rookie James White. (Jim Rogash/Getty Photo)

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26. Ben Tate, Cl...After three seasons in Arian Foster’s shadow, Tate finally gets his chance as a No. 1 back. Reunited with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and his zone-blocking scheme, Tate could see a jump from his 181 carries last year to somewhere closer to 300, provided his body holds up. He’s got a lot to prove, and this season he’ll finally have a chance to prove it. (Mark Duncan/AP Photo)

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25. Bishop Sanke...The first running back off the board in the 2014 draft is the only rookie projected to be a starter this year. In an offense without a particularly potent passer and behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, Sankey has every chance of making an impact from day one. (Joe Robbins/Getty Photo)

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24. Toby Gerhart...Like Ben Tate, Gerhart moves from languishing in the shadow of a superstar to finally nabbing a starting role of his own. While playing second fiddle to Adrian Peterson in 2013, Gerhart carried the ball just 36 times, but his 7.9 yards-per-carry average hinted at his potential. He’s a big, physical running back who blows up DBs, as anyone who saw the MIN-BAL game last year can attest. (Gary McCullough/AP Photo)

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23. Trent Richar...In like a lion, out like a leaky balloon. Richardson came rolling into Indianapolis in a blockbuster trade and disappointed almost immediately in a devolution that still doesn’t completely make sense. He ended the season with a total of 563 yards on 188 carries, an average of just 2.99 yards per attempt. (Michael Hickey/Getty Photo)

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22. Rashad Jenni...After splitting attempts with Darren McFadden in Oakland, Jennings comes to New York with a starting role all to himself. Statistically, there’s not a lot of reason to get excited over him (1,677 yards and 13 touchdowns in the span of five years). But even at 29, he doesn’t have a lot of wear on his tires, and (ignoring his awful 2012 season) boasts a robust 4.9 yards per carry for his career. Here’s to new beginnings in a late hour. (Bill Kostroun/AP Photo)

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21. Ray Rice, Ba...Rice capped a second-straight season of decline with a highly publicized, ugly episode with his wife that resulted in a two-game suspension. He failed to reach 1,000 yards last season for the first time since his rookie year. Rice is still only 27, and should have a few productive years left, but he could hardly ask for worse circumstances in which to stage a comeback. (Rob Carr/Getty Photo)

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20. Chris Johnso...Chris Johnson is so fast that he once actually raced a cheetah on national TV. Unlike the cheetah, however, it appears that Johnson may have lost his bite. That was the suspicion when the Titans cut him loose after last season. But even if he’s not good for 2,000 yards a season, he’s still a dangerous threat, and has something left in the tank at age 28. (Elsa/Getty Photo)

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19. C.J. Spiller...A high ankle sprain handcuffed Spiller’s 2013 season. He started only 10 games and split carries nearly 50/50 with Fred Jackson. That said, he still racked up 933 yards, and is second only to Adrian Peterson in YPC over the past two seasons. Even if the Bills opt for the back-by-committee approach again this year, Spiller should have plenty of opportunities to dazzle while Buffalo sorts out its passing game. (Rick Stewart/Getty Photo)

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18. Frank Gore, ...Under normal circumstances, there would be little red flags going up every time Gore stepped foot on the field. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and has all kinds of mileage on his tires. But Gore is simply not showing any real signs of slowing down. In 2013, he put together his seventh 1,000-yard season in nine years, and stayed healthy despite carrying the ball more than 250 times. Solid until proven otherwise. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Photo)

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17. Andre Elling...With the retirement of Rashard Mendanhall, Ellington gets the keys to the kingdom in Arizona. Among running backs with at least 100 carries, Ellington led the league with 5.33 yards per attempt. That said, he only carried the ball 118 times. How he’ll hold up with the lion’s share of the snaps remains to be seen, but the breakout potential is there. (Jeff Gross/Getty Photo)

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16. Reggie Bush,...Bush thrived in the Lions’ offense last season, despite yielding plenty of snaps to Joique Bell. While he finished the year with just four rushing touchdowns, he managed to eclipse both 1,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in the same season for the first time in his career. Bell isn’t going anywhere, but for the time being, Bush remains on top of the depth chart. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Photo)

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15. Ryan Mathews...The Chargers grabbed Donald Brown in the offseason, but insist that Matthews will continue to be their bell cow. Even with losing snaps to Danny Woodhead last season, Matthews set new career-highs in most categories, finishing with 285 carries for 1,255 yards. Perhaps most importantly, he played 16 games for the first time in his career. (Jeff Gross/Getty Photo)

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14. Giovani Bern...Bernard flashed last season in a limited role behind BenJarvus Green-Ellis, amassing 695 rushing yards and five TDs on just 170 carries. He also proved to be a receiving threat, adding 514 yards and another three TDs en route to a second-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting. The addition of Jeremy Hill to the roster means Bernard will still be sharing the workload, but with his production, it’s going to be hard for the Bengals to get him off the field. (Andy Lyons/Getty Photo)

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13. DeMarco Murr...When healthy, Murray is a beast, and he seems to keep getting better. In 2013, he rushed for 1,121 yards and nine TDs (both career highs) and averaged 5.2 yards per carry, third best in the league. Murray also caught 53 passes for an additional 350 receiving yards and a touchdown, and overall looked very dangerous. The question is whether he can meet or exceed his career-high of 14 games in a season. (Jeff Gross/Getty Photo)

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12. Arian Foster...Foster was well on his way to a fourth-straight 1,000-yard season before back surgery cut his 2013 campaign short, to the chagrin of both the Texans and shareholders of his personal IPO. After reportedly considering retirement after his injury, Foster is once again back in the saddle. Considering that Houston may lean on the run with Ryan Fitzpatrick behind center, and that Ben Tate relocated to Cleveland, Foster is poised for a big year … if he can stay on the field. (Elsa/Getty Photo)

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11. Le'Veon Bell...Bell rushed for 860 yards and eight TDs in his rookie season, despite missing the first three weeks. He is expected to get a heavy volume of carries in 2014 as a true three-down back, so if he he can improve on his 3.5 yards-per-carry average, Bell should be looking at a big year. He also reportedly came to camp nearly 20 pounds lighter, widening the gap between himself and new teammate LeGarrettee Blount. (Patrick Smith/Getty Photo)

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10. Montee Ball,...An emergency appendectomy added unexpected drama to Ball’s preseason, but it looks likely that he’ll be fine for the Broncos’ season opener. Which is good, because after letting Knowshon Moreno walk, Denver is banking on its new No. 1 back to have a breakout year. He managed 559 yards last year (4.7 YPC) after losing the starting job to Moreno. He’ll look to build on that, while also becoming a bigger factor in the Broncos’ passing game. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Photo)

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9. Zac Stacy, St...Stacy comes into the 2014 season full of promise. He started his rookie season slowly, but caught fire in the second half after securing the starting role, ending the year with seven TDs and just shy of 1,000 rushing yards. Rookie Tre Mason could chip away at his snaps, which is especially detrimental to Stacy, who is a workhorse with a less-than-glamorous 3.9 YPC average. (Andy Lyons/Getty Photo)

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8. Doug Martin, ...After a Pro Bowl rookie season in 2012, Martin failed to eclipse the 500-yard mark last season after a torn labrum cut his season short. Truth be told, he wasn’t exactly wowing anyone before the injury, either. Regardless, he is the uncontested starter for the Bucs, and reportedly showed up for camp looking faster and leaner. A new shame under Lovie Smith could be just what he needs to bounce back. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Photo)

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7. Alfred Morris...Morris has been a monster in his first two seasons, rushing for more yardage in his brief career (2,888) than any other back during that timespan save for Adrian Peterson. Mike Shanahan is gone, and the pass-happy Jay Gruden has taken his place. What that means for Morris remains to be seen, but with DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon dragging away defenders, he could still be a very potent weapon. (Rob Carr/Getty Photo)

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6. Marshawn Lync...With the week-long holdout behind him, Lynch can get back to doing what he does best — barreling through linemen in one of the most run-heavy attacks in the NFL. He’s notched three-straight 1,200-yard seasons in Seattle, and his 35 rushing touchdowns during that time are most of any back. No reason he should continue at this torrid pace for the foreseeable future. (Harry How/Getty Photo)

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5. Eddie Lacy, G...A 2013 Pro Bowler and Offensive Rookie of the Year, Lacy was a true workhorse in his debut season, carrying the ball 284 times for 1,178 yards in just 14 full games. He’s got the speed and physicality to be an every-down back, and was a red zone nightmare last year, with 10 of his 11 TDs coming from inside the 10-yard line. With a healthy Aaron Rodgers behind center, he should continue to dominate in 2014. (Tom Lynn/Getty Photo)

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4. Matt Forte, C...Forte blossomed in 2013, his first season under Marc Trestman and not coincidentally the best season of his career thus far. He not only racked up 1,339 yards on the ground, but hauled in 74 catches for an additional 592 yards receiving and 12 total TDs. He’s 28 now, and has rookie Ka’Deem Carey nipping at his heels, but that shouldn’t stop this machine from approaching 300 carries again in 2014. (David Banks/Getty Photo)

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3. Jamaal Charle...Charles was the consummate dual threat in his first year under Andy Reid. He actually rushed for fewer yards than in 2012, but still ended up with a whopping 1,287. He added 70 catches for a staggering 693 receiving yards, nearly 100 yards more than runner-up Danny Woodhead. He’ll be working on an island in 2014 behind a depleted offensive line and without the benefit of any real receiving threats in KC, so we may not see a repeat of his 19 total TDs... but even when you know he’s coming, Charles is hard to stop. (David Welker/Getty Photo)

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2. Adrian Peters...The only way for Peterson to go after his near-miraculous 2,000-yard season was down, and down he went in 2013 with (statistically speaking) the second-worst year of his career. Amazingly, second-worst still meant 1,266 yards and 10 touchdowns in 14 games. He remains a premiere talent, but faces the same challenges in 2014 that he did last year. Namely, he’s a one-man show in the Vikings’ offense, at least until if/when Teddy Bridgewater blooms. Peterson remains the best rusher in the NFL, but still doesn’t represent much of a threat as a receiving option. Since we’re discarding history and going with who’s going to deliver the biggest punch in 2014, the No. 1 position goes to … (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Photo)

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1. LeSean McCoy,...McCoy was a man on fire in his first season under Chip Kelly. His MVP-caliber performance included an NFL-best 1,607 rushing yards, 539 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns. Iron sharpens iron, and McCoy heads into the 2014 season surrounded by several blades. Kelly’s offensive juggernaut should be all the more formidable in its second year, and Nick Foles gives McCoy something Peterson and Charles don’t have — a big-play passing threat to keep defenses honest. Shady is also working behind arguably the best offensive line in the league, and this year he has Darren Sproles to keep his legs fresh. McCoy remains the most elusive and well-rounded back in the game, and at 26 is just entering his prime. (Rich Schultz/Getty Photo)

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